JAMES Arthur has topped the charts with his comeback track.

The former X Factor winner, 28, from Saltburn, east Cleveland, reached number one in the Official Singles Chart with Say You Won’t Let Go.

The song notched up 85,000 sales to push The Chainsmokers’ track Closer into second place.

Arthur, who was dropped by Simon Cowell’s record label in 2014, said: “This is incredible. I wasn’t in any way expecting it. I knew it was a good song and I thought some people might like it, but if you’d said to me it would be this well received, I would have thought you were pulling my leg.”

The singer had a difficult few years after winning The X Factor in 2012.

He was criticised for promoting extremism after it emerged his song Follow The Leader included the lyric “I’m gonna blow up your family like I’m a terrorist”, and in 2013 Arthur sparked a homophobia row when he uploaded a rap online.

He was later re-signed by Cowell and Say You Won’t Let Go is Arthur’s second number one on the official chart.